


There are two patronus on the stairs

by Japsody



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Au Hogwarts - Freeform, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-27 12:41:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20046199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Japsody/pseuds/Japsody
Summary: Leo Fitz has woken up the entire castle with another explosion. And the rumors soon arrive along with a very angry letter from his mother and some points, very unfairly taken by a Ravenclaw prefect.





	There are two patronus on the stairs

The students had been muttering all morning.

At Hogwarts, it was not unusual to hear explosions or see small fires. In the second year, Pipper Brown had set his robe on fire and no one noticed it, not even her. And in the fourth year, after losing a Quidditch match, Grand Ward invoked a magic fire that devastated more than half of the field, so he was sent to Sant Mungo for a mental checkup and no one had heard of him since.

The point is, a little rumor at Hogwarts can be turned into a great story for lunch, and this morning, the gossip spread quickly among the students because Fitz and Simmons were involved -and everyone knew about their rivalry.

This morning, everyone in the castle had woken up again due to the explosion in the Clock Tower. But then, a second-year student said he had seen Fitz and Simmons fighting to the death, and then, a fourth-year boy said he had heard unforgivable curses, and when one of the teachers began questioning him about it, the boy starts to cry-

The gossip was massive.

Even the ghosts were involved and they transmitted wrong information between ghosts and portraits. By lunch, everyone said Fitz had attacked Simmons in revenge for defeating him on potions and destroyed the clock tower by consequence.

Lance Hunter, Leo Fitz's self-appointed best friend, told him not to worry about the rumors because tomorrow surely would be another story growing up in the castle but given Fitz's reserved nature, he couldn't help but worry about it.

In fact, Fitz felt like he was having a stroke, right now.

"Who cares if you blew up the Clock Tower for a second time, Fitz?" Hunter said and Daisy nodded. "To me, you're a bloody genius. No one messes with The Clock Tower that often and gets rid of expulsion! You'll be a Hogwarts legend for the younger students!"

Just to be clear: Fitz's only two friends at Hogwarts turned out to be, two of the most carefree Hufflepuffs in that house's history. And Fitz NEVER had received one single good advice from those two.

Hunter was repeating his last school year since, the year before he had decided that school was too much to handle and he flew off riding his broom in the middle of a Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test. His parents found him two months later on Taiwan's shores, drinking champagne at a luxurious Muggle hotel. They undid the lucky potion that Hunter had been drinking and boarded him on the next train to Hogwarts.

On the other hand, Daisy Jhonson was a brilliant witch, skilled in Defence Against the Dark Arts but useless with everything related to common sense. She literally threw herself headlong into action and thought about the repercussions later, in detention.

So it didn't matter how much his two best friends advised him to not listen to the rumors, Fitz did.

It was easy for Hunter and Daisy not to fear punishments because they had been fighting against the rules since they step the castle and now the director kept their names written with indelible magic ink on the board of the detention room. But not Fitz's.

Fitz was smart and quiet. He was kind to first-year students, he always helped to his housemates, and even stopped to listen to whatever the lonely 4th-floor portrait had to say. Fitz never interrupted his teachers, never raised his hand, and never failed in an answer. He was always on time for his club meetings and no matter how many times he fell asleep and ran through the halls, completely forgetting breakfast, he never skipped classes. As if that were not enough, he also had amazing control of himself because every time went to Hogsmeade, he respected the allowed perimeter no matter how much Daisy or Hunter encouraged him to don't.

Fitz liked not to get into trouble. 

That, when he was not in front of Jemma Simmons.

She was by far the most exasperating student of her year: pureblood Ravenclaw, first in class and Prefect. She believed she was right just for being a perfect human being and if that wasn't enough, she liked to rub it on his face, the whole time.

“I wish you had seen the Headmaster's face when he caught me after the explosion this morning. I thought he was going to expel me." Fitz wailed, turning on his shoulder to see the Clock Tower's window being rebuilt by house-elves.

"Cheer up emo kid, at least he's not giving you the same detention as us, right Hunter? I swear if I have to spend another hour cleaning beetles' pus, I will vomit." Daisy complained, hitting her head against the brick wall.

"I want to change with you, Daisy." Because for Fitz, cleaning the pus seemed more pleasant than a week organizing old library scrolls, without magic, with Jemma Simmons. 

"But you always have your head on scrolls, how different can it be to have Simmons there?" Hunter pointed out.

Scratching the back of his neck in frustration, Fitz opened his mouth to try to explain, once again, why the director's punishment won't work for them-

"Simmons will find reasons to argue with me about methods and classifications, just to show that she is better and the work will never be done bec-" Fitz interrupted himself, someone was coughed behind them.

The trio, frightened, turned immediately.

"Students out of bed". Milton's nasal voice announced, smiling like a cat.

"Milton, my favorite Ravenclaw!" Daisy said with hidden sarcasm.

"Come here, buddy. Don't be a boring stick for once and join us. We have butterbeer!" Hunter raised a beer to the Prefect but he did not look at him. Instead, he turned to the hallway and spoke to somewhere where Fitz supposed his roaming partner was.

"Look what I found looking at the Clock Tower disaster, Jems."

Then, just by seeing the Ravenclaw girl's distinctive blue ribbon, Fitz knew that the day had only gotten worse.

"W-what are you doing here?" Fitz stuttered, his mind going blank, saying the stupidest thing to say, of all things. Of course, he knew what she was doing there, the Prefect night rounds. Dinner had been hours ago and his friends had found him in front of the clock and brought him leftovers from dinner. Fitz had not wanted to attend the Great Hall because of all the looks he would meet there, Hunter and Daisy had tried to cheer him up since then. 

Brain please turned on, he begged.

Jemma straightened her back and laughed "Shouldn't I be asking that?"

Daisy stood up from the ground, determined to save the situation. "We were leaving, in fact... we are doing now -Guys, get up."

Hunter leaped to his feet, scooping up his pointed hat and bottles with one hand. Seeing that Fitz was still not moving, Hunter hit his friend with his shoe, but that made Fitz drop his own empty bottle and it rolled on the floor.

"What is that?" Simmons's eyes narrowed. "Fitz, have you been drinking?"

"Uhm ... I don't?"

"Can you try to make my job easier someday?" Simmons's voice cracked as if it hurt. "Drinking is prohibited."

"We know that." Daisy defended.

Hunter nodded. "It's butter, lass."

Fitz friends hit him on the back at the same time, urging him to say something. Fitz tried to quickly put the words together in the correct order to speak with her, but then, when he took a step toward her, Milton stepped in the way.

"Haven't I always told you, Jems? Gryffindors think they're above the rules so we'll have to deduct a few points tonight."

Everyone gaped, including Simmons.

"Mate, come on, there is no need for that. We are leaving." Hunter threw up his empty hand, trying to calm him down, but the Reveclaw rejected his gesture.

"Five points less for each of you skipping the curfew, so it will be ten points less for Hufflepuff." Milton smiled and then, he looked at Fitz. "And five for Gryffindor."

Daisy and Hunter lunged at Milton but then, they noticed the other's gesture and held back themselves. Hitting a Prefect was not a good thing.

Milton raised an eyebrow at Hunter and Daisy, then returned his attention to Fitz. "I don't think I heard that points were deducted for the tower explosion." Milton turned. "Were points taken for the exploding, Jems?"

Jemma looked down, almost in a whisper. "Not."

"But-!" Daisy started.

"-You can't!" Hunter finished

"It's unfair! It's against the rules!"

Milton denied. "No, what goes against the rules is destroying school property and Fitz has done it twice this year. What do you think of fifty points, Jems? For our beloved tower?"

The trio gasped.

"Loo-Look Milton, the tower is- the tower is already being repaired and the Headm-" Fitz pointed his finger at the window.

"-The Headmaster is already punishing Fitz." Simmons added frantically.

"-he- he has given me a whole week of detention, no trips to Hogsmeade for a month and-"

"And we are prefects!" Jemma's voice rose. "We must take care of the students, not punish them!"

"Jems" Milton cut her off, shaking his cabbage head. "Our duty is to encourage students to take care of the school and Fitz does not."

"Milton ..-" Jemma opened her mouth but he stopped her again.

"Do not look at me like that. It is not me, the other prefects are also upset. It is our duty."

"But fifty-" Jemma tried.

"Milton please think about it." Daisy pleaded.

"Don't do anything stupid, Ravenclaw." Hunter advanced towards the Prefect, with a murderous look.

Milton looked at them all, smiling. "It is done. Fifty points less for the Gryffindor that destroyed the tower."

Fitz heard Daisy curse and take her wand, ready to try a particularly painful spell on Milton.

"Well, in that case, you should be getting points from your own house, Milton, since Jemma was found in the tower along with Fitz." Hunter defended his friend, ignoring Fitz's shut-the-mouth gaze

“I thought you were smart, Lance Hunter. Sorry, I forgive myself. I just forgot that I'm talking to a "mate" who is repeating his last year. In case it doesn't fit your mind, I remind you that prefects can't take points away from other prefects, and besides, Jemma would never be involved in an explosion of her own free will. Much less in the school destruction. It was all an unquestionable act by Fitz. Again."

"Oh well, and both times she couldn't stop him?" Daisy laughed but seeing the look Fitz gave her, she stilled.

Without looking at the trio, Jemma reached out to take Milton's arm and began to push him away a little. "Milton, did you hear that? I think I heard a laugh in the hallway."

Milton dismissed it "It may be Peeves."

"In the North Tower, at this time of night? I don't think so, let's find out." Simmons deftly took her hand and the boy, stopping to look at the group haughtily, hooked his fingers between hers and followed her, not without screaming before the trio should return to their rooms if they didn't want to lose any more points

"That was so unfair!"

“Fifty-five points less, friend! The Gryffindors will cut off your head when they find out! "

Fitz denied and encouraged them to move on. "Forget it, let's get out of here before Milton comes back...

"I hate that cabbage head."

"Me too," added Daisy angrily.

"I say Simmons could be tolerable if she just didn't have bad taste." Huter descended the narrow stairs of the North Tower, throwing fists into the air, pretending to fight his pointy hat. "First the hog's head and now the cabbage's head. She has bad taste."

"Do you think she is with him?" Daisy asked before opening the secret hallway on the stairs.

"Of course, he always has her under his shadow."

"But in the girls' bathroom I heard..." Daisy looked at Fitz who walked behind them with the wand on Lumus, not paying attention. She shrugged her shoulders. "Anyway, I wish Milton doesn't drag her with him, all the time. I like her."

Hunter denied. "You said that about Sinara and see how it all ended."

Daisy snorted. "It ended badly for her, didn't it?"

Hunter laughed and hit Fitz in the rib, forcing him to laugh too. They advanced in silence until they found the exit towards the Front Hall, and then, before separating, Daisy said:

"But do you know, guys? Jemma tried to defend us a little bit."

"Yeah, I noticed it too, weird uh? she is an insane rules' fangirl." Hunter stopped to consider it but Fitz pushed him forward.

"Let's go to bed." He told his friends. 

The trio said good night and when Fitz was about to reach the Gryffindor tower, a small bird made of silver haze flew over him and disappeared two floors above.

Recognizing the spell, Fitz concentrated and murmured his own Patronum Corporeum from his wand and sent it to investigate. Quickly, the Gibbons monkey floated after the bird.

Whatever the message was, he'd had enough of rumors and games for the day. He just wanted to go to his bed and rest, even knowing that he has at least two scrolls to write and one chapter of the Standard Spell Book six to read, all courtesy of his professors who wanted to be active participants in Fitz's punishment for damaging the tower.

"Do you want to go in, boy?" The Fat Lady dressed in her pajamas inspects him from top to bottom. "Tell me the password or go away. Stop interrupting midnight with your lights play."

Beside her, the other portraits begin to complain.

"I'm not playing with lights-" Fitz tried to defend himself by looking at the portraits but they rudely silenced him.

The Fat Lady got up and inspected him more closely. "Aren't you the boy who burned down the Clock Tower this morning?"

The other portraits mutter disapprovingly.

"It was hardly an explosion" Fitz muttered to them.

The Fat Lady was outraged. "Don't you dare give me the password, boy. I refuse to open the tower of the valiant Godric Gryffindor to someone like you. Go now, go! Go to reconsider your actions in a corner. In what times do we live? Students burning property of the school, sacrilege." The Fat Lady gave an indignant snort and left.

"Hey hey!" Fitz advanced to the portrait. "You can't do that ... Hey! _Smoothroot! _ _Smoothroot!_ Open the door for me!"

But it was too late, The Fat Lady did not return.

Cursing her fate, Fitz continued to call her out loud, which made to near portraits get angry.

"Shut up kid!"

"Some of us are trying to sleep!"

"Go away, boy!"

Damn portraits with their damn personalities and damn cabbage-headed prefects, Fitz thought, kicking his shoes against the carpet.

Bloody day had turned out to be this.

Fitz had woken up feeling confident. He had planned to have a good day of practice and then a glorious breakfast but before he knew it, everything had gone to the toilet. He had ended up involved in the -part- explosion of the clock tower and his ears had buzzed for an hour after that. Thanks to Merlin, the nurse had given him medicine or Fitz would never have heard what the Headmaster had said in his office. On the other hand, Fitz wished he had never accepted the deafness medicine when his mother's Howler arrived at lunch.

Fitz sighed, ceasing to kick the carpet. Damn day, he had only wanted to do things right, and again, he had been nervous, ruining everything.

Suddenly the empty stairs lit up with warm white light and from above the Fitz's Patronum reappeared followed closely by the Agapornis bird but then when Fitz raised his wand to finish the enchantment, the monkey floated away playing with the Agapornis to fade upstairs again.

Curious and encouraged by the interaction between the Patronums, Fitz followed them down the stairs -before they changed places, taking care of not making noises since he didn't want Gryffindor to lose the houses' cup in one day, because of him.

Why did the Patronums insist on flying instead of delivering a message?

When Fitz finally reached the top floor, two arms were thrown around his neck.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry". Simmons sobbed over his shoulder. "I will speak to the Headmaster to returns the points to Gryffindor. They were taken unfairly and unprofessionally, Milton acted as a -"

"Jemma-" Fitz tried to get away, his ears were so flushed. But she did not understand the movement and hugged him closer.

"I'm so sorry, Fitz!" She released her grip a little bit pulling away just enough to see his eyes properly thanks to the light emitted by their Patronus. "This afternoon I tried to warn you about the North Tower because Milton knows that you and your friends frequent that place. He was so angry because we ignoring the Clock Tower during our previous rounds that he insisted on going there tonight. I tried to tell you but you weren't anywhere at dinner! and when I tried to send you my Patronus, our Prefect rounds had already started, and then Milton would know that I warned you! "

"Jemma-"

“I couldn't keep Milton away from the North Tower, you have to believe me. I didn't want you or your friends ... "

"Jemma, stop!" Fitz removed his arms from her neck and stepped back. hurt. "Ever you..you-he I mean, okay-."

Fitz stopped to hold his thoughts, pinching his nose.

"Okay, can you stop for a minute to thi-think that maybe Milton didn't act like a prat for the Clock Tower's explosion but because everyone knows that you were there wit-with me?"

Jemma swallowed, a few tears welling up in her eyes. "What do you mean? Do you regret that I was there?"

Fitz denied. "No, I'm not saying that-"

"Then what is it? I already apologized for casting that spell on you! I'm sorry for that too, Fitz!"

"I know, you don't have to apologize for that spell." Fitz stopped her, rubbing her arm.

"Well then sorry for the others! Sorry for the fire spell that followed the explosion, but you really bit me when you sent Stupefy!"

"And that fireball was great, Simmons! It's fine, you don't have to apologize for them, we're fine- "

Jemma wiped a tear from her eye and smiled. "Still Fitz, I am so sorry for everything. You have been nothing but extraordinary all this time and I pay you being the worst Prefect in Hogwarts history, unfairly removing points."

At that moment, the bird Patronum flew to stand on top of Jemma's head, the monkey in tow. The warm white light frankly made her look more beautiful in Fitz's mind.

Gathering courage, Fitz scratched his ear. "Simmons I-" Fitz swallowed. "The thing is, I've seen the way Milton looks at you and I don't want to make him mad for meddling between you two."

"Milton?" Jemma twisted her nose.

"Look, I didn't want to mention anything because I know our friendship is new and really, it's not my business with whom you decide to date but," Fitz breathed and tried to make this sound funny while his own heart broked. "I don't think he's the best guy you can date with, Jemma."

"Fitz," Jemma blinked. "Milton?"

"Yes, Milton. The same prat who looks at you as if you belonged to him." He denied, rubbing his forehead. "I told you, I'm not a real Gryffindor, I don't have the courage to intrude between you guys so- I think that ... we should stop-." 

"Fitz! Of all the wrong things you're saying right now I don't understand what it has to do with -Milton?" Jemma's voice is a tenth stronger now.

"Bloody Merlin, Jemma! Hunter said you guys are together."

"Well, forgive me for never having thought, remotely, that Hunter would think that I am with ... Milton-" There it is. The sharp voice again. Fitz leaves. He is exhausted. It ended for today.

"Listen, I know our partnership was a deal. It helped improve your spells and my potions and we got OWL and I think it was really cool to start getting along and it was, even cooler, to get to exchange letters with you over the summer, but I can't- I don't know what we're doing-"

"Fitz" She approached him but he stepped back, colliding with his monkey Patronus and the warm heat intoxicated him. 

He coughed.“We-we can stop doing what we are doing now because lately, my brain is acting more broken than normal when I'm with you and that confuses me, Simmons."

"Fitz, you are not broken." She said guiltily, approaching him.

"No, yes- yes I am, that's why you still beat me on potions, of course."

"Yes of course." She smiled, glad that he could finally make a joke about his accident.

"So, I was thinking that-that-during our detention's week, we uhm, we could take separate sections of scrolls and not get in each other's way?"

Jemma nodded, finally managing to corner him against a statue. "Whatever your brain needs, Fitz."

Fitz's face fell with pain, Jemma bit her lip before said, "The thing is, you still haven't asked me what I think about all this."

He inclined his head, looking at her. "Do you want to stop our association for a while? So, you know, Milton can take your hand freely? I wan- I mean, not that I care or anything."

The bird pecked the back of his head and Fitz dodged it, almost colliding with Jemma's face. She gasped and stepped back a little, not much -almost nothing. He couldn't stop seeing her mouth now.

“No Fitz, I don't want that, and I'm not with Milton, I don't even like him!"

She made a gesture of disgust with her tongue and Fitz could not help, he laughed. 

Jemma advanced her arms to his neck, laughing as the bird hovered between them. "I like a Gryffindor who was brave enough to agree to be my secret tutor even though I was awful with him for years."

Fitz's mouth fell. "What?"

"I like you, Fitz! Why do you think I keep making excuses for spells even though our OWL was last year?"

Fitz swallowed hard. "Because you need to continue practicing for NEWT's?" he said, or so he said to himself every morning he woke up before dawn to be on time for his practice with Simmons and she greeted him with a big smile.

That's what was he said when they were distracted from tutorships matters talking about books or hobbies until the clock on the tower announced breakfast.

Fitz told himself that everything was academic because his broken brain couldn't understand why someone like Jemma Simmons would write letters to him in the summer. Fitz had thought that she was writing to him given the academic association they had maintained in their fifth year and he hoped that with the beginning of a new year, she would treat him as always...

And of course, that had happened. Jemma had been nice when they met on the train but then she hadn't spoken to Fitz until a week later when she had said that they should continue sharing their secret tutorships this year. Fitz had agreed, of course, his brain was broken and he didn't know do more than nod when Jemma cornering him in the corridors.

So Fitz had definitely told himself, that this was all about mutual tutorships when Jemma bought Fitz's favorites goodies in Hogsmeade and showed to him in the woods, saying they were just for her, acting very selfish about it when she knew that those were his favorites. So when Fitz managed to corner her against a tree and snatched her goodies' bag, yes, he had maybe noted how her cheeks flushed and how his own heart had been beaten, and maybe Fitz hadn't been thinking about the "academic" part more than other things, but he had released Jemma before doing anything stupid.

And after that, Fitz kept telling himself that she was his rival, and this was all academic when Jemma's hands on his shoulder became more common and she has started reading aloud to him during some sessions.

Fitz sometimes thought she acted like a perfect girl to thank him for her spell practices.

And that's why most days Fitz was grumpy and found her exasperating: because she was perfect and his broken brain didn't know what to do.

Jemma rolled her eyes, reading his thoughts. "It stopped being just a secret tutorship for me, Fitz"

"Did it?"

“Yes, Fitz! I like to spend my time with you! I like to find topics to discuss with you, but more importantly, I like to talk to you and find out how you think. I like you a lot. In a very non-platonic way."

Well, the moment of truth. Fitz was frozen, unable to believe what he heard. "Uh, I really like you too. In a non-platonic way, definitely."

"Good." She smiled, biting her tongue and wrinkling her nose.

"Good," Fitz imitated.

Then the bird and monkey flew over them, illuminating them as Fitz slowly approached Jemma. She reached out to close the gap between them put her hands to Fitz's cheeks as he, unable to believe what was happening, lowered his hands to hold Jemma's hips, and finally, they kissed.

"Please," Fitz managed to say, placing kiss after kiss on her lips. "Whatever this is, don't cast more explosive spells on me."

Jemma threw her head back, laughing. "Kay".

"Do you think the Headmaster suspected it?"

"Of course he did, Fitz! You acted in a very obvious way, answering questions with questions and pretending not to know what the Clock Tower was."

"Well, sorry for wanting to save your butt from expulsion, miss I-want-to-be-The-Head-Girl-next-year-but-I-also-want-to-try-prohibited-spells-with- my-class'-nemesis. "

She snorted, "Please, Fitz, I never said you were my nemesis."

Fitz bit one more kiss on her lips. "Yes, of course not."

Then they kissed more, for longer, making pauses to breathe.

"Well, I see you in detention then-" Jemma pulled back a little, reluctant to end the hug. She raised her wand and the Patronum bird evaporated inside, being replaced by Lumus.

Fitz held her but she threw off. "What about our practices?"

"Let's put them aside for a while, okay? The exams are weeks away and now we have other things to practice."

Fitz's mouth fell. "Who are you?"

Jemma denied. "Don't be late. See you tomorrow at The Clock Tower, you know the rest."

"There's the bossy Simmons that I used to know." Fitz hummed mockingly.

At that, she couldn't stop herself and ran back to Fitz, joining their lips in a butterfly kiss, then she turned to run in the opposite direction. "Call me that one more time and I'll cast an explosive spell on you again!" She hummed in response.

Fitz watched her go until she disappeared for a portrait, and then, with a big goofy grin on his face, he raised his wand and his own Patronus ran a little further before disappearing into the wand.

"I just kissed Jemma Simmons ... wow," he smiled to himself and went down the stairs.

**Author's Note:**

> I have decided to not apologize for my english because I really feel that I have improved... or kinda. Please skip my failures and be kind. In addition to all the things, I have to apologize after this AU the scene with the corporeal Patronus is, maybe the worst. Really, when I started writing this - this morning - the scene was short but then the story stretched out and I felt so bad for keeping the Patronus inside their wands so I keep them floating around Fitzsimmons and anyway it was midnight and it was dark and wink*wink*... Fitz and Simmons are great and super powerful, both were great at their OWL and they are happy when they see each other so in my head they could surely hold a corporeal Patronus for a long period of time.  
Also, if you didn't notice it, they discover for themselves how to send voice messages through their Patronus. How great are they?


End file.
